setting pen color

[grant_PD]

I have a simple script but can't figure out why the pen color doesn't change when I run it:

 

 

PROCEDURE DrawRect;
BEGIN
    PenFore(0,4000,0);
    Rect(0,0,100,-50);
END;

Run (DrawRect);

 

must be something simple, right?

[Peter Vandewalle]

Try PenBack(...)

[Jesse Cogswell]

In this case it might be better to use SetPenFore instead.  The code would look something like this:

 

PROCEDURE DrawRect;
BEGIN
    Rect(0,0,100,-50);
    SetPenFore(LNewObj,0,4000,0);
END;

Run (DrawRect); 

 

Handles are a tricky thing to get your head around, at least they were for me when I first got into scripting.  But they are also usually the "safer" way to script so that you aren't changing your active settings between creating objects.  The LNewObj function will always give you the handle to the most recently created object, so typical operating procedure is to create an object, then use LNewObj to set all of the attributes and parameters of the object, then create the next one.

 

You might also need to include a SetPenBack with the same colors you used in SetPenFore.  In my experience, setting the pen color requires SetPenFore and setting the fill requires SetFillBack.  You don't really need both fore and back unless your fill type is set to Pattern, but if you're feeling unsure or paranoid, you can include both.

[grant_PD]

all of those solutions didn't change anything? 

Here's where I am now and it still makes a black rectangle

 

PROCEDURE DrawRect;
BEGIN
    Rect(0,0,100,-50);
    SetPenFore(LNewObj,0,4000,0);
    SetPenBack(LNewObj,0,4000,0);
END;

Run (DrawRect);

[Jesse Cogswell]

What are your fill settings when you run the script?  You don't specify a fill color in your script, so it's likely using your active fill color, which may very well be black.  If you want it to be white, you would need to add SetFillBack(LNewObj,65535,65535,65535);

 

Also, keep in mind that color 0,0,0 is black, 65535,65535,65535 is white.  The color you specified in the script above is a very dark green, practically black.

Edited April 6 by Jesse Cogswell

[Jesse Cogswell]

Adding an extra 0 to your color script (as in 40000) will produce a rectangle like this:

 

 

[grant_PD]

@Jesse Cogswell that did the trick!  

[SamIWas]

On 4/6/2026 at 12:40 PM, grant_PD said:

@Jesse Cogswell that did the trick!  

 

I saw this and was going to post...0,4000,0 is only 6% green, so it's going to appear black.  Remember that all RGB colors are across a range of 0-65535.